Dead Inside Re-Written
by Malevolent Women Rock
Summary: True love was something Chaste never believed in. It just sounded too good to be true. That was until she met Regina, who before was known as the Evil Queen. After the curse was broken, things have gone downhill and now Chaste is filled with the same doubt from before. Will her mind change about true love or will she spiral down the dark road of uncertainty? (After Curse) Season 3
1. Prologue

_**Dead Inside**_

 _ **Once Upon a Time AU**_

 _ **Prologue**_

 _ **Okay, so I re-wrote the first 4 chapters, please enjoy!**_

 _ **Warning: This story contains verbal, physical, and sexual abuse. Also, depression and mentions of suicide and alcohol use are written. If you're easily triggered by these things, do not continue reading.**_

* * *

Regina ground her teeth together as Chaste went on about gods-knows what again. Regina didn't know what Chaste was talking about because her yelling was unintelligible and just sounded like screaming to her ears. The brunette looked at her fiance in distaste as she grabbed a bottle of strong apple cider from the alcohol cabinet. She then sat down on the love seat and continued to watch with a bored expression as Chaste went off like no tomorrow.

It was not always like this. Chaste and Regina were the perfect couple. They took each other out on dates, held hands in public, and were seen sharing content kisses in public. They were the definition of what true love was, well, besides Snow and Charming.

Anyways, they were always together, sharing smiles and laughs. They brought the best out of each other and Regina was able to be happy for once in her life. Her heart was not a solid piece of concrete in her chest anymore, and it raced whenever Chaste was around. She felt alive.

Their love started small as they were friends in the Enchanted Forest. Best friends even. Chaste was the most precious thing to her. Regina didn't have to hide how she felt around Chaste and she was comfortable around her, and she with her.

Chaste was known as a high-ranking knight from King George's army, but eventually became rogue because she did not agree with his customs or maybe it was because of a rumor that was started by a simple handmaiden that ruined the woman.

Honestly it was so long ago, Regina barely remembered. Anyways, she met Regina in one of her travels; walking along the dirt road only the Evil Queen traveled by. Her knights were given the order to arrest her and imprisoned her. Yet, they were having a bit of trouble because of the woman's stubborn attitude and strength that somehow exceeded her knights.

Regina exited the carriage with the intent to deal with the annoyance that prevented her from traveling to the near by town. The Queen's presence did not intimidate the other brunette and that only seemed to further anger the Queen. Obviously, they conversed, and the longer they conversed the more Regina's anger diminished. After their surprisingly long chat, Regina asked her name. The other brunette with striking hazel eyes smirked at her, as if she found hilarity in the current situation.

She spoke her name, short and sweet; Chaste. No last name, no middle name, just Chaste. Regina tested the name on her own lips, going it over slowly to memorize it.

" _I told you my name, now what is yours?" Regina rose an eyebrow._

" _You do not know?"_

" _I wouldn't be asking if I did." Chaste replied with sarcasm dripping from her melodic voice. Her eyes gazed right into Regina's. Never leaving hers to wander or search for something else. Just eyes on her, but not in fright. No, her eyes held a warm light to it._

" _It's Qu—...no, just Regina." She spoke after some time. Her facade was melting slowly in front of the other woman and she **allowed** it. How she did, she didn't know, but Chaste's hazel eyes just had something that made her want to let go; to be herself._

 _Then, she remembered she was in front of her knights. She felt a pang of sadness at knowing that she was not allowed to let go. Never put down this shell that was The Evil Queen._

Regina was brought back to reality when Chaste quieted down and eventually silencing herself. The woman noticed that Regina was not listening and she felt frustrated that she wasted her energy trying to get her to hear her. Yet, all she heard was the yelling.

"Are you even listening to what I'm saying?" Chaste muttered, utterly defeated now. Her vision became blurry with tears as she clenched her fist. She didn't like yelling at Regina, but she felt as if she needed to say what she needed to say. She didn't like Regina's behavior at all. She wanted to first speak to her about her behavior, but all the brunette would do was avoid her questions. Then, Chaste resulted to yelling at her fiance. She was not being heard by speaking normally, so she tried something new.

Obviously, screaming at Regina was not getting her anywhere either. As soon as she started to yelled, Regina pulled out a bottle of really strong cider and started to down it, to ignore her. Chaste had no idea why Regina was ignoring her, but she wanted to find out.

Chaste had a few theories on why Regina was ignoring her. One was that Regina really didn't want to get married to her so she was pushing Chaste's buttons so they couldn't get married. Another one was that she was cheating. This theory hurt the woman very much. It hurt even more than the first one. It meant she wasn't good enough to satisfy her partner and her partner had to sneak around and see others to seek satisfaction while still coming home to a warm bed and dinner prepared by someone who loved her dearly. Someone who was blissfully unaware of her antics.

Chaste was not blissfully unaware, nor was she stupid enough to give into being naive. She wants to get to the bottom of things, right now.

What worried her more was that they were going to get married soon, god dammit! Chaste didn't need this. Another thing she had to worry about was that stupid green witch running about causing havoc everywhere. Not to mention, Henry does not remember her, which added insult to her already open wounds.

When Chaste was finished with her mental rant, she turned to stare at Regina with pleading eyes. Regina responded to her pleading look with dead eyes. She set the empty glass aside and stood up. She stared at Chaste more, not giving anything away, before turning the corner. Chaste stayed silent as she heard the front door close with a thud and she burst into tears.

* * *

The witch turned out to be Regina's older sister, which was a surprise to everyone. Regina and Zelena had a witch-off or magic-off or whatever you called it and Regina lost. She was thrown through the watch tower and Chaste's eyes widened in fear for Regina. She ran towards the watch tower, and sprinted up the stairs. The Charming's followed closely behind her.

She found Regina on the ground, trying to lift herself up. Chaste was by her side in seconds and gripped her gently to lift her up. She cooed comforting words in the brunette's ear; completely forgetting her recent fight with Regina.

"Are you alright?" Mary Margaret asked her. Her question was directed to both woman, which Chaste was aware of, but decided not to answer as she was not okay.

Regina looked at her snidely, "I'm still alive, aren't I?"

"Gold disappeared. We thought that meant she-" Charming was interrupted, "defeated me? Hardly." Regina bit resentfully.

"You've won?" Chaste bit her lip, _no she didn't, but in a way she did_.

"Don't act so surprised. As it turns out Zelena wanted my heart. It's a good thing I wasn't stupid enough to bring it with me." Chaste stared at Regina. She didn't know Regina took out her heart before battling it out with Zelena. Chaste looked a bit lost as to why Regina didn't tell her. Was it because of before? Chaste felt a pang of guilt and a tiny bit of rage. This was important, yet she decided to withhold this information.

"Any idea why she wants it?" David asked.

"Well, she got your courage and wants my heart. Those are ingredients." Regina stated in thought.

"For what? A curse?"

Chaste tuned out the rest of the conversation as it still bothered her that Regina didn't tell her about taking out her heart and hiding it. She also wondered where she hid it. Hiding it in her vault would be too obvious and hiding it in her house would be suicide. Where could it be? Chaste was planning on asking this when they got home because she needed answers.

* * *

Chaste sat down in the living room across from where Regina sat. Her eyebrows were furrowed in frustration as more thoughts came about. Regina was not telling her things and it bothered her. What did she need to hide? She didn't know, but she was going to get to the bottom of it.

"I'm glad you're safe..." Chaste started. Regina glanced up, her eyes boring into the other brunette. Chaste stared back, now having Regina's attention.

"Regina, why didn't you tell me you hid your heart?" Chaste asked as calmly as she could. She kept her breathing at a steady pace as she waited for an answer from her lover.

Regina did not reply for some time, which only proved to worry Chaste further. "What are you hiding, Regina? I'm your fiance, you should be able to tell me anything, yet you're not. It's bothering me. We barely talk anymore, I'm starting to think you don't want to be with me." Chaste forced out. Her eyes stung from her own words, but it was how she felt. She couldn't hide how she felt.

Regina froze, processing her words. "I do want to be with you. It's been my dream to finally marry you." Chaste frowned, "Then why are you keeping secrets from me?"

"I'm not...I'm not! This is private, I can't tell you." Chaste stood up angrily.

"And why can't you tell me?" Regina stood up as well.

"Because...I."

"Because what, Regina?" Chaste spat with venom. Regina bit her lip. She didn't want to continue this conversation and decided that she wasn't going to and left the room. She needed to clear her mind.

"You can't always walk away from this! Regina!" Chaste followed her to the door. Regina opened it and slammed the door behind her.

"Regina! Regina come back!"

* * *

Chaste remembered clearly the argument she had with Regina two weeks ago. In that time, Chaste busied herself with other things such as protecting Mary Margaret from Zelena as she gave birth. She failed obviously and the baby was taken. She was knocked out from the magic thrown at her. She quickly recovered and followed after Charming and joined up with Regina and Henry.

They were talking about taking Zelena out. Emma was the key to beat her since light magic can defeat dark magic, but Emma couldn't because she lost the ability to cast magic. Henry then came up with an idea that Regina could help in some way even though she had dark magic. Chaste smiled at Regina quickly casting away any doubt and hate. She needed to concentrate on important things. She was also concerned for Regina's safety. Last time Regina went up against Zelena, she was beaten. What was Henry's idea exactly?

Then, Robin Hood came from down the hall, interrupting Chaste's thoughts. He said some words of encouragement to Regina, which in turn made Chaste's insides churn for some strange reason. She never felt ill-will to Robin yet, but for some reason, she felt something off. She didn't know what, but she had a feeling she would find out soon.

Hook, Robin, and Charming were thrown to the ground by magic while Chaste stood her ground and thought of a strategic plan to defeat Zelena."Come for another beating, sis?" Zelena mocked Regina. Chaste stood guard in the back, thinking of a plan. She glared at Zelena and decided to wing it and charge with her sword. She hoped she would at least get close enough to Zelena without getting flung around the room like a rag doll, but luck was not on her side today...or any day.

"No. I came for some jewelry." She said, then reached out for Zelena's pendant. Quickly, Zelena magically pushes her sister away from herself. Then, glances over to the corner where Charming and Robin were at and Zelena noticed that David and Robin Hood have recovered. "To a present flying monkey Beautiful one, if you will." Diving, the monkey attacks them. David shoves Robin Hood out of the way and the creature claws at David's shoulder. In turn, he groaned in pain. Chaste was still trying to gather herself as everything around her spun. She felt the sudden need to vomit, but she held it in.

Robin hood took aim with his crossbow "Remember, these creatures are our friends."

"Don't worry, I'll use a gentle touch." David replied, slightly panting.

"Unfortunately, that's not an option for me." Using magic, Mr. Gold forcefully pushed both of them back once again.

Once more Zelena applied her attention to Regina. Lifting her up, Zelena started to strangle her sister. She grinned wickedly at her, quite pleased with her work. Chaste sat on the ground, hunched over trying to crawl over to her fiance along with her vision blurring in and out of unconsciousness. She wanted to get up and save Regina, but her body felt too heavy to move. She felt increasing anxiety for being so helpless. How was she supposed to protect her Queen if she couldn't take a simple hit of magic?

"Only light magic can harm me. And you're as dark as they come. It was your destiny to be this way. And it'll also be your undoing." Zelena declared cockily.

"Don't tell me what I can be." Regina spoke in a strained voice. Chaste's heart pounded against her chest. She feared for Regina's life. Then, in the corner of her eye, she saw Hook, Robin, and Charming sneak up behind Zelena. She stopped in her tracks and watched quietly.

"I tried to be good once, but it wasn't in the cards. This is who I am and it's who you are." Chaste saw Hook move carefully to the Southern bowl, taking Regina's heart. She felt a little relief at that, and promised herself to thank him later.

"You're wrong, sis." White magic appeared in Regina's hand and Chaste sat up in shock, arms shaking as she positioned herself correctly. When could she do that?

"What are you doing?"

Regina smiled, "Changing," With a sudden burst of strength, Regina forcefully pushed her sister back. The Dark One's Dagger fell to the ground.

Zelena glared back at Regina angrily, "How?"

"I make my own destiny." Chaste felt a sudden burst of warmth for Regina and she smiled for the first time in a while. ' _That's the woman I fell in love with._ '

Regina took Zelena's pendant thus removing her magic. Then Regina turned to the portal with the pendant in hand, and the pendant started to absorb the portal's energy. David was about to look after his son, as the flying monkey shrieked behind him. Ready to fight the creature, he nearly beheaded the monkey. Zelena's spell was dissolving from the flying monkey and regained his human form. The monkey happened to be Little John.

Chaste stood up, shaking a little and walked over to Regina. She heard the Charming's rejoice that their baby was still alive and safe. Chaste stood next to Regina protectively as the woman spoke to Zelena. Gold moved in to kill the red head, but Regina stopped him. She mention something about being a hero, and hero's don't kill. Chaste gaped at Regina in astonishment. Then, she smiled warmly and wrapped an arm around the brunette's waist and pecked her cheek. Regina glanced at Chaste and returned her smile.

Zelena was taken away from the scene and thrown in a cell at the sheriff station. Regina went to go have a talk with her, now that her older sister was not as lethal as she was before. Now locked in a cell, Regina believes Zelena could rehabilitate herself and become good in some way and Chaste believes she can too. Everything went back to normal for a short time.

* * *

After Zelena's defeat, Chaste became curious as to how Regina changed so quickly. She always knew she wanted to change for Henry and Chaste, but she never transitioned so quickly. It was always baby-steps with her. It made Chaste suspicious.

Chaste has also noticed a pattern. So far, this week, Regina is late coming home. Now this wouldn't bother her usually because Regina was late before because of her mayoral duties. Since she wasn't mayor anymore, Chaste saw no reason for her to be outside so late.

Regina never told her where she went and why she was gone so long. Though, she would always come back with a slightly disheveled appearance and smeared makeup. It was clumsy looking, but it looked like it was put together quickly. Now, this intrigued Chaste because she always knew Regina to take pride in her regal appearance. To show up at any place, even at her own home in such a sight was unheard of.

Chaste feared the worse as the idea of Regina cheating on her returned. It made her extremely sick, and as soon as she heard Regina close their bedroom door upstairs, she would run to the bathroom near the kitchen to vomit.

Chaste called Emma the next day to tell her about her concerns. "Emma, I'm serious, I think something is wrong with Regina." Chaste voiced. She held her phone tightly to her ear to hear Emma's reaction. Emma was always the voice of reason in things, and Chaste trusted the blonde greatly. During the curse, they became best friends and grew close. After the curse was broken, their relationship didn't change, instead, they became closer.

"What do you think is wrong with her?" Emma asked as she plopped down on the couch. The Charming's in the back ground grew quiet as they started to listen in on the conversation. Snow looked at David with a worried look, and he mirrored her look.

"Regina has been coming home very late. I mean- _very_ late. She barely talks to me anymore, and whenever we have a conversation, we end up arguing. She won't tell me where she's going, nor will she answer her phone when I call her. I think somethings up." Chaste feels her heart pound painfully against her chest. She suddenly feels the need to rip it out of her chest and end her misery.

Emma was silent for while. She thought of things to say to Chaste to ease her mind, but she couldn't think of anything. Emma breathed out a shaky sigh.

"What do you think she's doing...?" Emma asked carefully. Emma then heard a choked sob on the other line of the phone and her heart stung at the sound of her friend crying.

"I-I don't know, Emma...I'm afraid..." She replied back, trembling. She felt warm tears stinging her eyes, she clutched the phone tighter, as if it were a lifeline.

"Look, I'm coming over." And she hung up. Chaste didn't let go of the phone. She removed it from her ear and held it tightly to her chest. Her breath was heavy and came out in gasps. She tried to hold the tears at bay, she really did, but soon enough they streamed down her cheeks and that's when she broke down.

In five minutes, she heard the doorbell ring. She moved off of the couch, not willing to wipe her face clean of tears and opened the door.

Emma gave her a remorseful look and stepped inside. She moved closer to Chaste to grasp her shoulder and move her away from the door and sat her down on the love seat in the living room. Chaste continued her sobbing and leaned into the blonde's chest. Emma tensed up, but relaxed and clasped her arms around the smaller woman.

"It's alright. Everything is going to be alright."

* * *

 _ **To Be Continued!**_

 _ **Author's Note:**_

 _ **This a new series that I have had on my mind for quite some time. Anyways, the time loops do not follow through with the original series. They happen to slowly go over through weeks to months. Not much to explain whats going on... If there are any questions, please ask away.**_

 _ **Also, thank you to my two beta reader! Great Job guys!**_

 _ **Bye!**_


	2. Chapter 1

_**Dead Inside**_

 _ **Once Upon a Time AU**_

 _ **Chapter 1: Back Handed Discussion**_

 _ **Thank you Alpha-Wolf619 and Guest for commenting on the previous chapter!**_

 _ **To answer Guest comment I will reply on here: "Thank you for commenting, I'm glad I was able to make you feel strongly about this. And don't worry, you'll find out what's going to happen soon."**_

* * *

Chaste sipped her hot coffee cautiously as she read through the newspaper. Her eyes numbly scanned through the tabloids. After she took a sip of her coffee, she released the cup from her grasp and placed it gingerly on the bar counter.

"You look busy." A feminine voice said casually. Chaste looked up; her hazel eyes pierced through Ruby.

"Shouldn't you be working?" Chaste chided. Her eyebrows quirked and her face showed the well-known irritated expression that everyone was used to.

"Well, I'm on my lunch break." She shrugged and walked around the bar counter and plopped down on the stool next to Chaste. The woman sighed and threw the worn newspaper down on the counter. She then swiveled on the bar stool and faced Ruby with a peeved smile.

"What can I do for you today, Miss Lucas?" Her tone was sugary sweet and Ruby grinned. She could tell the smaller woman was agitated, as she always was. As of recently though, she has been even more so, which was unusual and it made Ruby a bit worried for her short-tempered friend.

"I just want to hang out with you, Is that a crime?" Chaste chuckled dryly, "Yes, it is. Especially when I'm busy-"

"Busy doing what?" The werewolf asked curiously. Chaste bit back a groan, controlling herself from rolling her eyes. "I'm looking for an apartment." Ruby eyed her worriedly.

"Why? What happened? Did Regina kick you out?"

"I'd rather not..." Chaste averted her attention away from the young woman. Shame almost hit her as she felt she was becoming more easy to read.

"Please tell me what happened...I promise; I won't tell anyone else." Ruby's gray eyes bore into her; her eyes were slightly glossed over as she gave Chaste the puppy dog eyes. Chaste returned her gaze to her hands, trying to avoid Ruby's look again. She gritted her teeth in frustration, unwilling to succumb to the werewolf's will. Chaste was also stubborn, and Ruby knew that. That did not make the werewolf back down and instead to puckered up her lips in a saddened motion. Chaste scowled, eventually she caved in.

"Alright, I'll tell you." Ruby gave a wolfish grin and Chaste rolled her eyes.

She sighed, "Regina and I- well, we have been fighting a lot. I just can't take it anymore. I mean- I love her, but she's hiding too much from me." She paused in order to collect herself, "I can't stay in a relationship where we act like strangers to each other. I'm trying to make it work, I really am." Ruby nodded in understanding, then leaned over to grab Chaste's hand and held it tight. "I just can't..." Chaste held her head in her other hand and leaned her elbow on the counter, glancing at Ruby between her fingers.

"I'm here for you. If you need somewhere to stay for a while until you find your own place, you could always stay with us." She spoke softly. It was comforting to know someone was there for Chaste.

Chaste spoke up, "Really? I mean- no, I can't do that."

Ruby smiled, "Yes, you can. We may have been enemies in the Enchanted Forest, but we're friends here. Friends stick together. Plus, I'm offering." Chaste bit her lip and her eyes glazed over. Ruby was about to hug her when Chaste lifted her hand up to signal she was alright.

"T-thank you. I appreciate that. I'll be sure to think about it." Ruby nodded eagerly. Then an idea came to her head.

"Hey! Later on, wanna come to the Rabbit Hole with me?" She offered.

"Ruby, I don't drink-"

"You don't have to drink, you can just have some soda or something. Just, come on. Let's get you out of the house and away from Regina for a bit, hm?" She contemplated Ruby's suggestion. It sounded like a good idea. She really needed to get away from Regina for a while so she can think over her options. Chaste let out a breath, "Yeah, sure. Why not?"

"Great!"

* * *

 _ **To Be Continued!**_

 _ **Author's Note:**_

 _ **Sorry for the short chapter. I want to push out as much chapters as I can before I get extremely busy so bare with me please! Thank you, see yah next week!**_


	3. Chapter 2

_**Dead Inside**_

 _ **Once Upon a Time AU**_

 _ **Chapter 2: Perfidy**_

* * *

Chaste tugged at the bottom of her dress, which happened to reach her mid thigh. She examined her reflection in the mirror and spun around to see how it looked. She hasn't worn this dress in a while and she was surprised at how it still fit.

The dress was a wine-red, tight fitting around her curves and flowed loosely over her thighs. It showed a bit of cleavage, which made her already large breasts look even bigger. She clasped a simple necklace around her neck, and two stud earrings in her ears.

Her eyes were lined with a coal liner and her lips were filled in with a simple red lipstick. She sighed as the anxiety settled deeply in her stomach, known to her as butterflies. She carefully slipped on her pumps. Then, she heard the bedroom door creak open.

"You look nice."

Chaste glanced up to see Regina standing in the doorway, leaning to her side with her arms crossed; her expression was unreadable.

"Thank you." Chaste replied, then promptly adverted her gaze to the mirror in front of her. She awkwardly nestled the dress straps on her shoulders. She felt Regina's gaze burned holes into her and she felt her heart pound louder.

"Where are you going?" Regina asked, her voice sounded monotone, but Chaste could tell she was irritated. Chaste bit her lip as she felt an edge of vexation. She wanted to reply with a resentful response, but she had self-control.

"To the Rabbit Hole." Regina shifted and cocked her head.

"By yourself?"

"No." Chaste glanced at her, her hazel eyes flickering at the former Queen in worry. She could read Regina's body language and could tell she was not pleased. Then, she felt a flare of anger spark through her, ' _Why do I care what she thinks._ ' She thought childishly.

"With who then?"

"Ruby." Chaste whispered. Regina squinted at her and she could feel her anger rise. "That mutt." Regina scowled. Her brown eyes were like coals to a fire. Her anger oozed from her body and the temperature of the room went cold. Chaste could almost _feel_ Regina's patience breaking in the eerie silence. Regina gave a long look at Chaste before turning on her heel. Chaste sighed, as she expected an argument to follow that statement. She was glad there wasn't, for she wasn't in the mood. Though, she felt a gnawing feeling that this wasn't the end of the conversation.

The doorbell rung signaling Ruby's arrival, and Chaste perked up. She smiled, trying to forget the uncomfortable encounter with Regina and hurried downstairs to greet Ruby.

She opened the front door to be greeted by a well-dressed Ruby. She wore a dress like Chaste, but it was a bit more revealing. Her dress was a crimson color that contrasted well with Ruby's pale skin. Her hair was up in a bun with a few strands of hair framing her face.

Overall, she was absolutely gorgeous, but when Chaste thought about Ruby that way, she felt guilty. Was it right to think about Ruby this way when she was still with Regina? She was confused and a bit scared.

"You look great." Ruby said, the corners of her lips widened into a seductive smirk and Chaste blushed.

"Thanks, you too." Chaste replied. She stepped outside and closed the door behind her. "Ready to go?" Ruby asked, her excitement was evident and Chaste previous feelings of worry vanished. She nodded and followed Ruby outside the mansions premises. Ruby lead her over to her car and opened the door for Chaste. She smiled at Ruby and sat down inside the car. Ruby closed the door and went to the other side of the car and sat in the driver's seat. After she sat down, she put the key in the ignition and the car engine came to life. Then, they sped off to the Rabbit Hole.

* * *

Regina looked out the window. Her gaze pierced through it angrily as she watched Chaste enter the car with that...mongrel. She watched them speed down the road and her nostrils flared. She ground her teeth together in agitation. Her fists were clenched tightly, and her nails dug into the palm of her hands.

She glared at the spot Ruby's car was previously parked; as if her glare could burn holes through the window. ' _I'm guessing that I am receiving some sort of karma...'_ The former queen thought bitterly.

Regina turned her gaze away from the window. Her eyes stung as she could feel tears rimming her eyes. Feeling deeply about things was Regina's downfall. She felt hard, loved hard, but also hated hard. Not only that, but she never appreciated whatever she had. She always wanted more. A happy ending, Snow's death, a son, Emma's death, Chaste's love, and now...

What did she _want_ now?

She screamed as loud as she could. Her mind was betraying her yet again as she felt the turning of her stomach and the burn of her emotions. She then grabbed a small hand mirror from the table near her, and threw it against the wall. Her eyes narrowed as she watched the mirror shatter into tiny pieces. She could feel something sticky on her face and she knew her makeup was running, but she didn't care. Her heart ached for something...Something more. She felt her own greed get a hold of her.

She was going back to her old ways.

Regina sunk to the floor. Bitter tears rolled down her face and the taste of acid raided her mouth. Her once warmed heart was now turning back into concrete. She smiled as she felt emptiness flood her.

"I deserve this." She whispered coldly to no one but herself.

' _I don't deserve her.._.'

' _I don't even have her heart._ '

This pained Regina greatly, her eyes dragged upwards and stared at the ceiling as she continued to degrade herself.

She drew in a breath slowly as she moved from her crouched position on the floor. She went inside her room which she shared with the woman she loved oh so dearly, yet didn't love enough to save her from pain.

' _Pain I caused._ '

She moved a makeup wipe to clean off most of the smeared eyeliner and mascara off her face. She stared at her reflection as she did so. Her stomach felt queasy at her image. The familiar feeling of self-loathing flooded in and she sneered. She quickly applied her eyeliner and mascara in a swift, yet enraged motion.

The brunette moved fleetly down the stairs of her mansion and she crossed the foyer over to her front door. She exited her home and stalked off to her car. Firing up the engine, she took another deep breath. Moving her hands to her purse she pulled out her compact mirror. She glamoured at her hated appearance with a seductive eye. She looked like herself.

Like an evil queen. Regal looking, and _deadly_. She then gripped the wheel tightly. She took one last glance at her reflection and drove off.

It took a few minutes for her to stop and park at her destination. She turned the car off and pulled her keys out of the ignition. Her rage was still fresh and she felt her heart pound loudly. From her rage, she felt guilty for what she was about to do. She pushed back the guilt and stepped out of the car. She walked down the sidewalk, hips sashaying with her movements along with the click of her heels; which added to her regal appeal, then she followed the path that lead to the forest. She walked through the stray of greenery until she met with an empty campsite. Well-almost empty. The man she was looking for was sitting on a log, staring at one of his broken arrow heads.

Few seconds later, Regina coughed and made her presence known to Robin Hood.

"Regina, what are you doing here? It's late." He asked with a small smile.

"Is Marian here?" She asked, glancing inside one of the open tents for any signs of tanned skin and brown hair.

He looked at her, confused, "No, why?" Regina smirked.

"Good" She moved forward and pressed her lips against his. He groaned in protest, but eventually gave in. Regina pushed him into the open tents and zipped it all the way up.

* * *

Chaste sat at the bar with Ruby and chatted away. They talked about simple things, such as what they did last weekend, what was going on right now, and just life in general. A soda was passed down Chaste's way and she smiled and picked it up.

She took a sip before she continued the conversation, "I've been tutoring Henry on Algebra."

"Oh, really? From what I heard, He has gotten better at it." Chaste nodded.

"Yeah, he has, but he wants to improve. I encouraged him that it was a good idea. So, I tutor him for at least an hour and a half on Saturday's when Emma drops him off."

"That's cool. How is he in general? I haven't spoken to him in a while." Ruby asked.

"He's...alright. I think he's a bit troubled though." Chaste replied, her eyes glazed over in thought.

Ruby arched an eyebrow, "Why do you think he's troubled?" Chaste sighed and tried to figure out how to explain what was going on.

"I think he knows something about Regina that he isn't telling me," Ruby's eyes widened.

"Why do you think that?" She asked as she leaned over in her seat. She licked her lips and grasped the beer next to her and took a gulp.

"Well, I saw him sitting on a bench in the park lost in thought. I sat down next to him and he jumped. I asked him what was wrong and his eyes clouded instantly. He apologized quickly and I told him it was alright. I asked him again, and he replied with ' _It's my mom-_ " but he didn't finish. He looked at me with a worried expression, but said nothing else. I didn't want to push it, so I just hugged him." Chaste bit her lip at the memory as she felt her stomach twist in knots. His look worried her. She wanted to tell Emma about it since telling Regina probably wouldn't be wise since he was talking about her. She didn't, and kept it to herself.

"Do you think Regina did something to him?" Ruby asked, now filled with worry as well.

"I don't think directly. He looked at me as if...as if it had something to do with me." Chaste clutched her glass tightly. She lifted it to her lips and drank the fizzy drink to try and soothe her nerves.

"Hey, hey, calm down. It may be nothing." Ruby said in a soothing voice as she reached over and stroked Chaste's arm.

She shook her head, "What if it is something? What if Henry needs me, and-" Ruby silenced her, "We're not here to think about that, remember? We're here to relax, have a drink or two, and enjoy each others company." She said with a small smile. Chaste returned the smile and nodded. "Alright, I'll relax."

"Good girl."

* * *

Henry looked down at his IPhone in his hand. He scrolled through his numerous pages of apps, his mind was in a haze as he could barely comprehend what was going on. He leaned back into his pillow on his bed.

"How..." He whispered to himself. He then decided to click on a random app on his phone; his Instagram. He scrolled through the endless pages and read his friends post. Yet, none of them were able to distract his mind from wandering to what happened a week back. His stomach tightened at the memory returning to him and he closed his eyes tightly as tears threatened to fall.

"How am I supposed to tell her..." He murmured sadly. "It'll break her heart. I don't want that." He then grew infuriated and threw his phone on the floor, then he kicked his phone to the other side of the room. He flopped himself on his stomach and leaned into his pillow. He gripped it tightly as the rage coursed through him. Angry tears spilled from his eyes and dampened his pillow.

"How could you mom?"

 **To Be Continued!**


	4. Chapter 3

_**Dead Inside**_

 _ **Once Upon a Time AU**_

 _ **Chapter 3: Decadence**_

 _ **Alpha-Wolf619- "Thank you for commenting on the last two chapters! I really appreciate your feedback! Anyways to reply to your comment on chapter 3, I'm glad I was able to make you feel so strongly about a fictional character. I love Regina's character, but I wanted to try something new. Regina does have a lot of flaws, so I decided to use that against her. I'm very evil, so yeah. :)"**_

 _ **Author's Note: I am skipping ahead in the story so we can move forward a bit. I had to delete a few things because I felt it was out of place or too slow. So if you all feel this is a bit fast, I am sorry. I just needed to get to a place where I wanted this story to be at.**_

 _ **BTW; this is kind of like Regina-bashing. If you love Regina, do not continue reading this fanfic. You will be angry and/or sad. But if you don't care, the warning was here!**_

* * *

"You think she is cheating on you?" Dr. Hopper repeated to Chaste. She nodded. He wrote something down on paper, "And why do you think Regina is cheating on you?"

"I don't think Hopper, I know."

"You know she is cheating?"

Chaste nodded, "Yes."

"Have you gotten any proof to see if she is cheating on you? Maybe catching them on the act or something of the sorts?" Chaste sighed, feeling slightly defeated. Her mind was now clouded with negativity. Regina was seriously taking a tole on her. She couldn't think straight, nor could she function correctly. It was sad.

"Not really..." Dr. Hopper nodded and then leaned forward.

"Well, then you think she is cheating on you. You have no proof she is participating in these acts," He paused and wrote something down on his notes, "What have you seen with her? Strange behavior, the way she looks, or is it something else?" Dr. Hopper studied Chaste closely for any forced reaction.

"Yes, in fact. All of the things you've mentioned, she's been showing signs of." Chaste changed her position and leaned back into the couch, trying to relax and clear her mind.

"Can you go into detail for me?"

"Yes.." She paused, now deep in thought.

"She comes home late at night. I didn't think much of it at first, but she comes very late, like 1 to 3 am. She also tries to sneak in without my noticing, but I do because I don't sleep until she is home." Chaste grips the edge of her seat tightly.

"We would argue often. We can't have a regular conversation without one of us getting irritated. She never wants to talk things out either, she just ups and leaves. She's even ignoring Henry." Dr. Hopper's eyebrows furrowed. Chaste looked at him and shook her head for him to speak.

"She's ignoring Henry?"

Chaste looks at the ground sadly, "Yes, she hardly speaks to him. I know because Emma speaks about it all the time with me. It bothers her as well. Whenever he comes over, she isn't home. So, it's just me and Henry for the weekend usually."

Dr. Hopper scratched the back of his head in thought. He didn't expect to hear that. From what he knows; Henry is the most important person to Regina. It's strange hearing something different from that. He frowned, jotting down a side note.

"Continue what you were saying before." He said.

"Right. Anyways, we never talk. I feel like a stranger in my own home whenever she's around. But get this, whenever she does come home, she has this strange glow to her and she looks happy. There's magic in her eyes and she seems refreshed. She comes home smelling like...pine trees or something." Chaste suddenly feels angry. Pine trees reminded her of Robin, and Robin made her livid. The thought of him slamming Regina against the wall, thrusting deeply inside of her, making her moan out his name several times infuriated Chaste.

Chaste has never had the chance to make Regina scream like that because they have never gotten intimate. Well, they did get intimate, but they didn't get far because Chaste was not exactly ready. She was sort of nervous because she was unskilled; she feared not being able to please Regina right.

Dr. Hopper coughed awkwardly, trying to get Chaste's attention. She snapped back to reality and apologized.

"That's why I think she is cheating..." Dr. Hopper took everything in. It was a lot to go off of. Chaste's explanation was making more sense. Archie felt as if Regina was cheating as well. He could recall a few weeks back he saw Regina exiting Robin Hood's house in the dead of the night while walking Pongo. He held back a sigh and wondered if he should tell this piece of information to Chaste. He decided he will, but only when she tells him more of the situation.

"When did all of this start?"

"Uhh...I think maybe right after the second curse was enacted. Maybe even when we were back in the Enchanted Forest, I'm not sure." Chaste replied softly. Her eyes were downcast as she felt another pang of sadness. Helplessness, maybe even depression.

"I'm going to ask you another question, Chaste. I want you to think about this one before answering." She nodded and waited for the question. He wrote down a few things on paper, before shifting his position in his seat.

"Alright, I want you to think; _Who_ do you think Regina is cheating with?" He asked steadily. He starred at Chaste, seeing different emotions displayed on her face. Anger and Sadness were the ones that appeared the most.

She clutched her knee tightly and dug her nails deeply through the fabric. Now all she felt was rage.

" _Robin Hood._ " She muttered bitterly through barred teeth.

* * *

"Thank you for that wonderful piece of information, Dr. Hopper. Here's the money I owe for our visit." Chaste said flatly. Her expression was blank and on the inside, she felt empty. Her heart stopped it's erratic beating and it felt as if it wasn't there anymore. Her breathing evened and her nerves leveled out.

Archie looked at her worriedly, he now wondered if that was the right decision to tell her. "Chaste, please be careful. Don't do anything rash, think things through before confronting Regina." He took the money hesitantly and she lowered her hand. She faced him while putting on her jean jacket. "Of course I will think things through. Don't I always?" That was a rhetorical question, and after that she left.

Chaste walked out the building to feel the cold air coil around her. It didn't bother her. She already felt cold inside. She walked steadily down the sidewalk. The bright light from outside blinded her. It was still day time. Chaste guessed it was around 4 maybe 5 pm.

Chaste walked for a while, not bothering looking at where she was going. She tuned out the world, like Regina tuned her out when she was talking to her.

She came back to the world and realized she was outside the Charming's apartment. She knocked steadily on the door. She tried to change her facial expression to look natural, but it was hard. She got it just in time for Snow to open the door.

Chaste smiled at Snow, but it didn't reach her eyes. Yet, Snow didn't seem to notice and invited her inside. When Chaste entered inside, she could hear a baby giggle. She could tell it was Neal Jr. She saw Charming on the sofa, sitting down watching TV with Neal. David noticed Chaste and stood up to greet her with a hug. Well- almost hug, since he was still holding Neal.

"It's been a while since we've seen you, Chas." Mary Margaret said excitedly. It was nice to see them smile, Chaste thought. Chaste still felt no warmth from their smiles and hugs. She felt nothing.

"I'm sorry, but I need to know where Henry is. Is he with you guys?" Snow nodded and said he was upstairs in his room. Chaste gave a polite 'thank you' and made her way upstairs. She came by Henry's room and knocked on the door.

When she heard a 'come in' she opened the door and entered inside. When she was inside his room, it was dark. The only light was the sun setting from outside the thick curtains. Henry was hunched over in his bed playing with his phone. He looked tired.

He looked up from his phone and his face brightened and he smiled. Yet, his smile didn't reach his eyes. ' _Seems we have something in common._ '

"Hey, Henry. How are you? It's been a while."

"Yes, it has. I'm fine, how are you?" He asked.

"I'm alright." She moved towards his bed, "May I?" He nodded. She sat down on the edge of his bed.

"Henry, have you been feeling alright lately?"

Henry froze, "You just asked that-"

"I know, but for real. Are you alright?" Henry hesitated and Chaste caught him trembling. He looked into her eyes. They were similar to hers. Dead, yet his still had some light.

Chaste leaned over and hugged him and he was stunned for a bit. He felt an overwhelming feeling to cry; so he did.

His tears ran down his cheeks and onto Chaste's jean jacket. He was crying silently and when he sobbed loudly, it came out in soft rasps. Chaste stroked his back, telling him that it was okay. She wondered if they were sad for the same reason.

Half an hour later, Henry released his vice-like grip on Chaste's jean jacket. He looked at her, examining her.

"You found out, didn't you?" He whispered. Chaste did feel surprised that he knew. She had a feeling he knew for a while and was trying to keep it a secret. It was tearing him up inside, though.

"Yes, I did. You knew too. Tell me, how did you find out?" Chaste asked softly.

"It's not something I'd like to remember. Also, not the best way I could have found out either." He shuddered and Chaste's eyes widened. She moved to hold his hand tightly. It must be hard for him to even think about it not to mention talk about it.

* * *

 _Emma dropped Henry off at Regina's house as usual. She stayed in the car since he was old enough to be by himself. She watched him walk up the porch steps and take out a house key to open the door to the mansion. After she saw him go inside, she drove off._

 _Henry went inside and closed the door behind him. He kicked off his shoes and went to go look for Chaste to play video games with. He went into the family room, where she was usually at, but she wasn't there. He looked all over downstairs but couldn't find her. He decided to get out his phone and text her to find out where she is._

" _ **Hey, where are you? I need to find where my Call of Duty game is.** " He txted. He sat on the couch and waited for a reply. As soon as he placed his phone in his pocket; he felt his phone vibrate. He took it out and opened up the text._

" _I **'m at Granny's getting take out for later. Your game is in your room on top of your bed. See ya soon, kid. :)))))** "_

 _He replied back quickly, " **Thanks, I'll see you soon!** "_

 _He made his move to go upstairs, but when he reached mid step he heard a moan. He froze and he felt his heart skip a beat and not in a good way. Someone else was here. He was frightened by the thought that there might be an intruder in the house._

 _Then he heard another moan, but it sounded familiar. He arched an eyebrow and crept up the stairs. His feet glided lightly over the stairs. As he grew closer, the moans were getting louder and he could feel his stomach squeeze tighter._

 _Those moans were from his mother._

 _His eyes widened as he grew sick. Chaste wasn't here. Who was she with? Henry was scared, but he went forward to his moms room which she shared with Chaste. The door was cracked slightly. The crack was wide enough to see through it. He hide behind the door and calmed his breathing before looking through._

 _The moans were bothering him a lot. This wasn't right._

 _He then heard screaming and he was about to charge through the door because he was afraid his mom was getting hurt._

 _She kept screaming a name..._

" _Robin! Oh, Robin! I-I'm cumming!" Henry's heart stopped. Robin Hood was in there with his mom!_

 _He peaked through the crack and saw Robin Hood on top of his mother doing..ugh..stuff. Yet, it wasn't sickness he felt, it was betrayal. Betrayal for his friend and third mom, Chaste. How could his mom do this to her? She didn't deserve this..._

 _Henry tore his eyes away from the scene and he felt his eyes water. He ran for it, but was careful not to make a noise. He slipped his shoes back on and left the house. He ran far from the mansion, away from his mom, and Robin._

 _He ended up at the park. He found a bench and sat down. His heart was racing from all the running he did. He tried to catch his breath as he felt tears run down his cheeks._

" _H-how could you mom!" He screamed out, frustrated. He felt foolish for believing that she was trying to change. He felt lied too. His heart hurt and he wondered if he should tell Chaste about his discovery._

 _Henry was lost in thought until he heard a thud next to him. He jumped in surprise and looked to his left._

" _Chaste."_

 _ **To be Continued!**_


	5. Chapter 4

_**Dead Inside**_

 _ **Once Upon a Time AU**_

 _ **Chapter 4: The Kill**_

 _ **Alpha-Wolf619: I like how we feel the same way. She is an amazing character. I just find it interesting to put her through certain things. Seeing as there are a lot of Fanfics that tend to glorify her (Not saying that they're bad) I wanted to do something different. Thank you for reading! :)**_

 _ **Guest: I'm glad you enjoy this story. I also find those stories quite entertaining as well. :)**_

 _ **JimmyHall24: Well, here it is. Thank you for reading, hope you enjoy!**_

* * *

Chaste stared down at her hands, numbly sweeping her thumb over the palm of her hands. She was silent for quite a while. Henry guessed that she was processing his words. Slowly going over every consonant, every vowel, thinking over every possible scenario. Regina and _Robin_. Chaste almost chuckled at the thought.

She prayed everyday that it wasn't true. That Regina wasn't fooling around. That maybe she was being faithful and Chaste was just acting crazy. She gave Regina the benefit of the doubt. Yet, somehow, she wasn't surprised because deep down she _knew_. It still hurt, though.

The corners of her mouth lifted into a bitter smile and her eyes became glossy. Henry's breathing hitched as he looked her over carefully. He could clearly see the pain written all over her face. He could see she was holding back tears; holding back screams of pain and betrayal. His words hurt her deeply and his heart ached painfully. A sob escaped his throat and Chaste startled back to life. She realized where she was again and her brain started to work.

"I'm sorry you had to witness that." Chaste apologized steadily. She leaned over to hug him tight. "I-It's f-fine. I-I just wished it didn't h-have to b-b-be like this." He stuttered through his sobs. Chaste hushed him softly and combed her fingers through his hair. "You have a good heart, Henry. I will not hold this against you."

"I-I should have told you r-right away." He muttered, he squeezed Chaste's jean jacket. "How would you have told me? You we're hurt as well, Henry. If anything, this hurts you more because you've witnessed it." Chaste whispered, hoping to calm the crying boy in her arms. She was surprised Snow and Charming haven't come up to check on Henry's well-being. Chaste didn't blame them, they did have a baby of their own they had to handle.

"B-but still..." Chaste sighed, "But nothing, Henry." Chaste looked down in thought. "I never wanted you to get involved in this. I never wanted you to know about this scuttle between Regina and I. We have been arguing for quite some time, and I didn't want you to know Henry. I didn't want you to know that our relationship is strained."

Henry looked into Chaste's eyes, green eyes glistening with tears. "It was?" Chaste nodded sadly. "Yes. I just didn't expect...this." Henry swallowed deeply, then dug his head into Chaste's chest. "I'm sorry." He whispered.

Chaste didn't reply. She looked at the wall in front of her, her vision was becoming hazing as she was lost in thought again. Henry lifted his head again, "So, what do we do?"

Chaste breathed in deeply before replying, " _We_ will do nothing. _I_ will do something about this." Henry blinked, a confused expression was etched on his face, "What do you mean? I thought-"

Chaste shook her head "No, Henry. You will not be involved. This is something for me to deal with. I do not wish to further sever your relationship with your mother."

"You're my mother too! At—least you were about to be..." He trailed off. He looked sad again, but he didn't cry this time.

"Please Henry, try to understand. I care for you a lot. I can't risk for you to get involved any further."

Henry looked at her, defeated. "Fine. Just—be careful." He said, before hugging her tightly. "I will." She replied, smiling slightly.

* * *

"Thanks for having me, but I have to go." Chaste said, heading towards the front door. She stayed longer than expected at the Charming's home. She couldn't help it though. They were so warm and inviting, and Regina's home was so cold and now had horrible memories for her.

"Aww, you're leaving already?" Henry groaned as he placed the game controller down on the coffee table.

"Yeah, I have some things to do." Chaste replied with a smile. Snow came from the kitchen, "You're not staying for dessert?" She asked a bit disappointed. Chaste perked up at dessert, "What are you having?"

"Apple pie." Snow replied happily as she slipped off her oven mitts. Charming came over to her side with baby Neal.

Chaste felt herself grow sick. Her decision was now final as she was now ready to leave. "Nah, it's fine. I really need to get home anyways. Thanks for offering." She turned to leave quickly, no longer wanting to have a conversation. She exited the loft and speed-walked down the hall; down the stairs and outside into the cold air.

Chaste breathed out a sigh. She mentally prepared for her journey home. Then, it came to her. Was it really her home anymore? She held her jean jacket tightly. No, it wasn't. Her eyes were downcast and she felt a wave of depression. Her walk home was a solemn one.

As soon as she entered the house, she felt a chill. An even colder one than she felt outside. She took off her jacket and placed it on the coat rack before slipping off her shoes. She made a move to flip on the lights to brighten up the foyer.

"I'm home!" She called out. She didn't expect a reply so she moved down the hall and into the kitchen. She turned on another set of lights. Feeling the need to turn on all the lights in the house to feel less lonely, she went around and did so. The home felt more alive to her, similar to the Charming's except less warm.

She still felt alone, so she turned on the TV in the family room to create some noise. Then, she went inside the bathroom to wash her hands, her mind was once again lost in thought.

She lifted her head up and glared at the mirror in front of her. Her reflection glared back at her, her eyes filled with hatred. Then, her eyes filled with tears. She looked at the area around her eyes and noticed that they looked sunken in. Black circles formed around her eyelids, which made her appearance seem tired. Which she wasn't going to lie, she was. Very much so. In fact, she wanted to sleep right now. She finally turned off the sink with her now pruned hands and quickly wiped off the wetness on a towel.

Chaste trailed up the stairs and into the bedroom that she shared with a stranger. She was about to collapse on the bed before she stopped herself. Her eyes traced the outline of the bed; staring at the pillows and fancy comforter. Her eyes narrowed as she lashed forward and ripped the comforter and sheets off the bed. The smell of perfume and pine filled her nostrils and she threw them to the ground, then rubbed her hands furiously against her hips as if disgusted. She tore the pillow capes off and threw them on the ground as well in a blind rage. She gathered all of the pillow capes and sheets and placed them all on the center of the ruffled comforter. She then wrapped and folded the comforter over the materials and tide it tightly in a knot.

Chaste lifted the comforter over her shoulder and carried it out of the bedroom. She walked down the stairs and went outside through the back door. Chaste then threw the bed materials in a heap on the ground and surrounded it in dried and dead wood. She then went back in the house quickly and then ran outside.

Her eyes a blaze with tears and fury she lifted her hand. There, shown in her hands were a pack of matches. She opened the pack and took a match from it, then stuck it on the box. It lit with a spark and she threw it on the messy pile. She took another match from the box and repeated her action until she was satisfied with her work.

The fire coiled and flared wildly. Angry flames consumed the fancy white sheets and bed linings, turning them brown and then eventually black. Smoke piled on top of the flaming mess and filled her nostrils with a nasty smell. Yet, she enjoyed it. She felt a twinge of happiness. A strange, sick feeling of happiness.

This fire represented something to her.

The comforters was representing her relationship with Regina. The flames represented the collapse and the problems with it. The left over ash was what was left of their relationship. The ash represented nothing. There was _nothing_ left. Everything was burning away; all the good times; the time they shared in the Enchanted Forest, smiling, laughing, and sharing stories. Their first date; Their first kiss; Their first "I Love You"; Their first everything. It was gone now and so was Chaste's feelings for Regina.

* * *

Chaste packed the last of her things in her car, then walked over to the driver's side and opened the door. A sour look was on her face, but she felt victory. She was doing something. She was not sitting around letting things happen anymore. She was doing something, not necessarily fixing the problem, but she was getting up and leaving.

Regina came outside, a panicked expression was spread across her features. She ran over to Chaste, her movements were frantic. Chaste could almost smile at her behavior. Now she knew. Knew how Chaste felt to lose someone you love. Chaste then remembered, this isn't the first time Regina has lost someone important to her. Chaste then felt a flutter of guilt, but it was soon washed away with her resolve.

"You aren't actually leaving, are you?" Regina asked, her voice was high-pitched. Her brown eyes were wide with tears.

"What does it look like to you, 'Gina? I wouldn't waste my time packing my things if I wasn't planning on leaving." Chaste replied simply. It was not the answer Regina was looking for, but she answered. Regina almost whimpered when Chaste threw her purse in the car and grabbed her keys from her pocket.

"No...please don't." Regina pleaded. She moved forward and placed her hands on Chaste's arm. The brunette tensed under her touch. It has been a while since Regina touched her. Her hand was warm, and she was shaking. Chaste's eyes narrowed.

"Don't. Touch. Me." Chaste's voice came out in a growl. Regina flinched and recoiled her hands away from her. Chaste swerved her head to the side to get one last look at Regina. Her hazel eyes burned with a fire that Regina has never seen before. Then, she spoke her last words to her.

"You've made your choice, _dear_. So, chin up and hold your head high." Chaste chuckled bitterly before entering her car and closing the door after her. She started the car and drove out of the driveway and left Regina in the dust.

Regina's lower lip trembled and she started to shake uncontrollably. Her nerves were starting to get to her and she shook even more. Eventually, her legs couldn't hold her up anymore and she fell to the ground. Her arms circled herself and she cradled her legs to her chest as she sobbed heavily.

* * *

 _ **To Be Continued!**_

 _ **Author's Note:**_

 _ **Sorry for the long wait. I was really busy and couldn't update much so here it is. It's really short, but I'm writing a longer chapter for chapter 5 so stay tuned. Also, I'd like to give a special thanks to my Beta-Reader 'nxutralxst'. Thank you so much for helping me! :)**_


	6. Chapter 5 Part 1

_**Dead Inside**_

 _ **Once Upon A Time AU**_

 _ **Alpha-Wolf619: Nice to see you still reading this! Thank you :)**_

 _ **myqueenofall: Yep she definitely does. You're right. Thanks for commenting!**_

 _ **Guest: I don't know if this is the same Guest from previous chapters, but thank you for commenting! Glad you enjoy this story.**_

 _ **Chapter 5: A Beautiful Lie (Part 1)**_

* * *

" _Come on, 'Gina! Try Harder!" Chaste yelled as the mellow breeze blew through her hair as she sped through the clearing on her powerful chestnut-colored steed. Chaste gripped onto the reins tighter to gain more control of her horse as she road through the smooth terrain. She was gaining the upper hand, with the Queen only a hair behind her in their small competition of horse racing. It was a friendly rivalry and was only done for fun. With no one around, Regina was able to be herself and ride on her horse freely and enjoy her company with her friend._

" _I'm gonna win!" Chaste panted out as she saw two small trees at the end of the trail that marked the end of their race. Regina grunted, not feeling like losing, decided to kick it up a notch and gave a quick thrash of her reins on her horse to speed up their gallop. Chaste's grin was wide until she turned her head and saw that Regina was now right next to her. Her grin dropped into a frown and now Regina was grinning. She winked then left Chaste in the dust as she sped past her. The other brunette gaped as she watch her cross past the two trees and then her horse came to a stop._

 _Chaste came in right behind her and slowed down her horse, a scowl now marring her face. Regina sighed and looked at her friend as Chaste glowered right back at her. Then she spoke up, "I allowed you to win." Regina rose an eyebrow, then smirked. "Oh really?"_

" _Yes!" Chaste said defensively. Though her hazel eyes flickered mischievously at the Queen to show that she was not really upset. The smaller brunette shook her head, shaggy hair swaying and becoming more ruffled from the wind. She took her hand and pushed her bangs to the side and Regina smiled, "Well, I had fun."_

" _Same here. So, what else shall we do, Your Majesty?" The younger woman asked. The Queen sighed, "Sadly, we can't continue our fun. I have a meeting to attend to."_

 _Chaste nodded, disappointed settled in deeply, but she did not let it show. "Alright, let's head back then."_

 _Regina steered her steed to their destination, "Yes, let's."_

* * *

Regina stared down at the photo in her hands. Eyes glossy, red, and puffy and brimming with more tears stared holes into the photo of the happy couple in the picture. They were smiling brightly as if they hadn't a care in the world.

She traced the picture with her fingertips. Very light, yet caressing touches. Specifically, the hazel-eyed woman in the picture. The one with gleaming eyes, bright smile, and sun-kissed skin. Her arms were around the woman next to her who was grinning just as brightly with blissful-tear filled eyes.

Another round of tears streamed down her cheeks and dripped onto the picture. Her fingers tensed and her hand recoiled back to wipe away the tears. Yet, she stopped in mid-motion, knowing that there was no avail and that would not relieve the streams that came from her eyes. She took the picture and clung to it like a life line and buried her face into it. Curling into a ball, she cried frantically for the 6th time that day. As she had been doing for the past week.

"I deserve this." Regina whispered in a broken voice, which was muffled by her hands. She was in the corner of her bedroom, in the darkness. Still in the clothes she wore on the day her love left. Her hair was knotted and matted, makeup smeared around her eyes and deep red lipstick vanished into her cheeks and some smeared into rivulets that mixed with her tears.

She was a mess that was to say. It has been a while since she had been a mess, yet it had been all too familiar to her as the aching pain settled deeply into her heart.

Regina sniffled and opened her eyes, lifting her hands away from her face, she looked through the darkness. Her vision was blurred and she could barely see anything. Then, in the edge of her blurred vision, she saw someone standing in the corner of her bedroom. The figure looked feminine. Regina blinked repeatedly and rubbed her eyes. Her senses were starting to work a little better as she tried to adjust her eyes to the dark.

The dark figure walked closer to Regina and she shied away. Her reaction time was slow, but she managed to summoned some of her magic. A fire spell was active in her hand and she lifted it to shed some light in the room. She gasped loudly, eyes widening.

In front of her was Chaste, but instead of her normal skinny jeans and a loose blouse; this Chaste had on riding pants with a vested shirt with ruffles on the end of her sleeves, and her hair was much longer as well.

"Chaste..." Regina croaked out. Her voice sounded shattered and uneven, but she tried her best to push her vocals to form words.

"You let me down." Chaste sneered at her, disgust was shown through her hazel eyes. Regina started to tear up again and her heart skipped a beat almost painfully. She was right, she did let her down. Regina was too selfish in her actions; taking things for granted; not cherishing things until they were gone.

"I-I know...I-I'm s-sorr-"

"NO MORE APOLOGIES!" Chaste screamed, her eyes growing wide in fury. "You betrayed me. You made me believe that you _loved_ me! You never did because you're selfish and couldn't accept what you had. You just take and take and never give!"

Regina's form shook as more venomous words were spat at her. She took all of them as tears started to trail down her face again. She bit her lip to prevent herself from crying out. Chaste's hatred was like a knife to her heart.

' _I hurt her..._ '

' _I...I ruined everything..._ '

"I was wrong about you..."

"You truly are an Evil Queen. You will never change, and I hope you will suffer for as long as you live." Chaste said in an unnervingly calm voice. Though, it did not tone down the blows Regina took. Her heart hurt more than ever now, filling up with more regret and self-hate.

"You're r-right..." She whispered. Chaste smiled bitterly. Her eyes were a dark abyss that Regina seemed to get lost into.

"I hurt you, I-" She was cut off.

" _Regina_!" A feminine voice shouted from downstairs as loud knocking rocked the house with a repetitive racket, snapping Regina out of her self-pity. Her flame vanished, leaving her in darkness once again. She sighed, her tired eyes blinked painfully in the dark. She didn't want to move. She was quite comfortable sitting by herself in the dark, but the voice was insistent and she knew the person wasn't going to leave until she showed herself.

She picked herself up and fixed her messy hair as best she can. She then exited her room with a bit of wobbliness to her legs. She walked down the hall and down the stairs. She walked across the foyer, then opened the door.

"Miss Swan, what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

* * *

 _ **To Be Continued!**_

 _ **Author's Note:**_

 _ **Here's the next chapter, well, at least part of it. I'm splitting it up so it makes more sense. You guys will understand later when I add the next parts. Anyways, please enjoy! Thank you for all the awesome comments! :) (BTW, My beta-reader is busy so she has not looked over this chapter so I apologize for any mistakes that I have missed)**_

 _ **(Part 2 Will Be Out Soon!)**_


	7. Chapter 5 Part 2

_**Dead Inside**_

 _ **Once Upon A Time AU**_

 _ **Chapter 5: Balancing on Reality (Part 2)**_

 _ **Apologies for taking so long to upload this. I have not been up to writing because of personal reasons. Hopefully, I can make up for lost time and upload the next part around the 7th.**_

* * *

"Miss Swan, what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" Regina asked, her voice cracked slightly. She would add some malice to her tone, but she was too tired to even bother. Her head ached and it felt as if it was about to explode. Her eyes were red and puffy and she could barely breath out of her nose.

Emma was stone-faced to this, yet her heart went out to Regina. She didn't look like herself and Emma wanted to cheer her up, but then she remembered what she did.

"I came to check up on you. No one has seen you leave the house in a while. Are you alright?" The blonde asked with slight concern.

"Do I look alright to you?" Regina growled.

"Not really..."

Regina glared at the blonde, but flinched when a sudden wave of pain hit her. "Ugh, now that you know that I am still alive, can you please leave?" Emma contemplated leaving, wondering if it was the right thing to do. Regina and Emma had been through so much together, they had come so far. She would stick with her and help her with anything, but this...issue kind of sets them back.

It wasn't something she was used to. Not to mention Emma had never expected Regina to do this to Chaste. It was a surprise to everyone, as news spreads fast in a small town.

'The Evil Queen was going back to her old ways and is ruining peoples lives again.' Many citizens claimed, their trust and faith in Regina returned to a uncertainty. Not only did this ruin her reputation, it also ruined Robin's reputation with his Merry Men. They did not expect someone of such honor to have an affair with a woman that belonged to someone else. Not only that, but Marian was alive again, so he had no reason to pursue Regina at all. Yet he did.

It confused many people, even those who were close to Chaste and Regina. Snow White especially. She knew both of them in the Enchanted Forest and knew they were inseparable. What had happened to ruin that? Where did this begin? When and why?

"No, I'm not going to leave." Emma said.

"Why? Can't you just let me be?" Regina groaned out. Her head was aching horribly the more she was standing there speaking to Emma.

"I need to know why...Why did you do that to her?" Regina froze. She didn't expect that question from Emma. The question struck her and she thought long and hard about it. She wanted to answer back, but she had nothing.

Why did she do that to Chaste? What was she to gain from all of this?

"I-I...I don't know." Regina's eyes were now downcast with shame. She could now feel Emma's gaze change to a glare. Emma was disappointed with Regina. Her answer did not satisfy what she came here to get. If anything, she was filled with distrust for Regina.

"You don't know?" Emma grumbled, her green eyes held a fire within them. Regina wanted to cry under the blonde's gaze, feeling the disappointment and anger seep into her very being.

She held her head in her hands, "Just leave, Emma."

Emma shook her head, "I'm not leaving until I get an exact answer." Emma pushed past Regina and walked over to the living room. Regina sighed, then closed the door. She followed after the blonde. Emma sat on the couch and stared at the brunette as she moved across the room to her wine cabinet. She pulled out a glass and a bottle of wine and poured out its contents into the glass. Once she was satisfied with the amount she had, she sat across Emma then mentally prepared herself for the talking of her life.

* * *

"Here are your drinks, is there anything else I can get for you?" Chaste smiled at Belle and Rumple. They made an interesting couple. At first, everyone was skeptical of them being together, but they seemed to bring the best out of each other.

"No, no, we're fine. Thank you, Chaste." Chaste nodded at the two, she was about to walk off to her other customers until Belle stopped her.

"How are you settling in? Are you comfortable here?"

Chaste stood there for a bit, somewhat dazed. "Yeah, Ruby and Granny made this place quite comfortable for me."

"And the Diner?" Belle was always selfless, always caring for others which Chaste liked about her. It was hard to find that quality in people now a days, but it seemed easy for Belle. She was even able to change Rumpelstiltskin with her kindness and generosity, which to Chaste showed true strength.

"Working here is a bit of change for me, but I'm getting the hang of it. And it's also something to do during the day as well." Chaste paused for a bit before continuing, "I like it here..." Belle smiled brightly, yet there was still concern in her eyes.

"I'm happy for you, and please if you ever need someone to talk to, just stop by the library." Chaste smiled, "I will, thank you. I'll go to the back and get your meal." Belle nodded and went back to speaking to her husband.

Chaste walked to the back and handed another order to Granny before grabbing two plates of food. She then walked back to Belle's table and handed their food.

"Enjoy your meal." Chaste smiled at the both of them. Rumple nodded and dug into his food and Belle replied back with a 'thank you' before doing the same. Chaste then walked over to her next table.

"Hello, are you ready to or-" Chaste's eyes widened in shock at the person who sat at the booth.

"Yes, I would like to-"

"Robin Hood." Chaste bit out. The man looked taken a back by the intensity of her voice. He looked back at her with widen eyes, like a deer caught in head lights. He was extremely appalled; Chaste could almost laugh. Almost.

"Look, Chaste, dear-"

"DON'T you dare." She growled, not willing to hear him kiss her ass. His sweetened words would not win her over. He ruined her relationship with Regina; who was important to Chaste.

Robin looked nervous, sweating even. He was trying to come up with a quick explanation for everything that was happening, maybe to soothe some of the woman's anger, but nothing came up. At least, nothing of value.

"Tell me, Robin Hood. What happened with the 'honorable man' code? Or was that some act to fool everyone with your pitiful lies?"

"I-it wasn't an act, I was-no, I am an honorable man." He scrambled. A smile creased on Chaste's face. Not a happy one filled with joy, but an enraged one. It was shone as a warning to Robin; to not over step his boundaries.

Then, she laughed, Bitterly; loudly; angrily. Everyone in the diner stopped what they were doing to stare at the young woman who seemed to be splitting her sides in laughter. Tears came to her eyes at how much she was laughing. She found so much hilarity in the situation. She found Robin Hood to be the most stupid man she had ever met, along with his stupid jokes and a stupid code that he supposedly followed.

She eventually stopped laughing and everyone else went back to their food and chatted with friends. Chaste stared at the man as he shivered under her gaze. Her eyes were cold, yet her face showed mirth. Mirth at what, Robin did not know.

"I'd like to know, how was she?" Chaste asked as she sat down in the booth across from him. He was now confused on how to reply to such a question.

"I don't understand." He said.

"Of course you don't. Well, I never took you as bright. I guess you can't expect much from a man who lived in the forest most of his life." Chaste mocked as she cleaned her nails. She looked at them as if they were the most interesting thing to her. "I guess I'll have to clarify."

"I meant, how was she in bed? I was never able to find out, but since you did, you must give me details." She spoke almost whimsically, which confused Robin even more at how she was able to change her moods so quickly. Instead of answering her, he chose silence. Chaste then sighed, growing bored with her little game and stood up.

"So, what would you like to order?" Robin was stunned. ' _Is she bipolar?_ '

"Just coffee please..." He said, wanting to end this encounter with the woman he now found was mentally deranged. "Coming right up, sir." Chaste wrote down his order with a smile before moving forward to his ear.

She whispered in his ear, which made him tense up like a cat. She whispered sweet threatening words in the shell of his ear. Her hot breath coiled around him, sending a shiver up his spine and not in a good way.

Then, she backed away, smiling ear to ear.

"You're coffee will be right out."

* * *

"So, you're just going to sit there. I'm talking to you, Regina." Emma uttered, her face twisted in frustration at the brunette. As soon as Regina gulped down that cider, she was basically unresponsive. This only proved to irritate the blonde, but she would not raise her fist to her. Not yet at least.

"You have not given me any reason why Chaste should forgive you. You haven't given me any reason why you did this. You haven't said anything." Emma said. Her face hard. Regina was sitting there clutching her spirit glass tightly. Her mind swirled with the words Emma said to her earlier. All the pain that she caused Chaste. This whole time, Regina was unaware of the extent of her damage, and now she knew.

It was all hard to swallow. Much like a lot of things Regina did. The one question now was...how was she going to live with herself knowing that she did all of this?

* * *

Chaste fell backwards on the bed, her whole body was aching. As her back met the bed, she felt a swelling pain and a pop of her spine. It hurt, but it also felt good as well. She purred slightly at the buzzing feeling in her back. It was strange, but she enjoyed it.

The room was quiet as the moon shined brightly through the window. Chaste stared at the ceiling with tired eyes, then she turned on her side and gazed at the crescent moon. The night sky was clear from clouds and the moon was beautiful.

Her mind swirled with a sudden burst of memories, remembering something that she put in the back of her mind for a long time. She almost forgot about it until now. It was a simpler time. Well, not necessarily. It was definitely better than it was now. Everything now was sort of jumbled together. She could hardly tell what was real now a days. She could hardly tell who was real and who was fake...If she was real.

"Am I here? Or is this some sort of dream? Or nightmare..." She whispered."Perhaps some sort of nightmare." At the word nightmare, her mind brought up an image of Regina. A person who she was trying to forget as of now.

She closed her eyes, pain filling her heart."Yes, definitely a nightmare."

 _Regina was pacing back and forth in her throne room. Her heels clicked frantically on the porcelain floor; echoing loudly. Her mind was racing with invading and terrifying thoughts. Her face was scrunched up in anger and panic as her negative thoughts were rampant in her mind._

" _What am I to do?" She mumbled under her breath. In the corner of the throne room, a woman opened the door, then closed it quietly behind her. She gazed at the raging Queen with a look of worry. She moved closer to her as if to get her attention, but the Queen still did not notice her presence._

 _She then decided to speak up, "So...what's wrong?"_

 _Regina did not answer. Chaste stood back blankly and waited again before speaking again. "'Gina, something is bothering you. What's wrong?" Chaste paused. No reply. Chaste sighed then moved forward and gently placed her hand on Regina's shoulder to stop her pacing. "Tell me what's troubling you." Her voice was quiet, but strong. In hopes of calming down the Queen, she rubbed her shoulder. The brunette was startled out of her thoughts. Her eyes became focused as she glanced at the hand on her shoulder, then to Chaste._

 _Her eyes connected with Chaste's. Her eyes were filled with fear. Chaste has never seen her look this way before. It made her feel uneasy, but she kept a cool head_

 _Regina then felt the rubbing of a warm hand. Curled over her shoulder in a comforting gesture, Regina's posture relaxed slightly. Regina took a deep breath. "Snow White..." Chaste scowled._

" _What happened?" Regina's eyes were downcast. Uncertainty flashed in her chocolate brown orbs. She didn't answer for a while._

" _Whatever it is, it has upset you greatly." Chaste breathed out. Regina bit her lip._

" _You don't have to tell me unless you want to." It was silent once again and Regina was tense. Chaste noticed and decided to do the unthinkable. She took a leap of faith and hoped this gesture would help somewhat._

 _She pulled Regina close to her, then wrapped her arms around her. Regina felt warm all over and she gasped at the feeling of the smaller woman's arms around her. Regina was shocked, but Chaste didn't care nor did she pull away. She just held Regina in place, and had her arms protectively around her body._

" _I know you don't like being touched. I'm sorry I'm invading your personal space, but...You're worrying me." Chaste was hoping that Regina wouldn't pull out of her embrace, but instead of doing that, she moved closer and place her head in the crook of Chaste's neck. Her arms weakly wrapped around her friend and Chaste smiled. After standing there for quite some time, Regina spoke._

" _Snow...She's starting a rebellion." Chaste could now understand Regina's frustration. Chaste held the Queen tighter as she felt the need to protect her._

" _Chaste, she wants the kingdom! She'll take everything I worked so hard for!" She whispered loudly._

" _I won't let her do that." The younger woman proclaimed._

" _I will protect this kingdom, Regina." Regina was shocked yet again at her friend's bold words._

 _Then, they heard a loud racket outside. Regina shook out of Chaste's embrace, her expression was panic-stricken._

" _She's here!" Chaste raced over to a large window to look over the court yard. Her eyes searched the area that was lit by the moon light. Then her eyes saw two guards messing around outside, and she sighed. She shook her head at the both of them; now noticing that they were rouging each other up for some sort of sport. She would be sure to reprimand them later._

" _She's not here, Regina." Chaste turned to face the brunette._

" _What do you mean?" Chaste motioned for her to come over to the window, "Come here and look." Regina was hesitant, but walked over anyway. She looked around to see if there was a sign of the bratty Princess anywhere. There wasn't._

" _She could be hiding." Regina said. Chaste shook her head, "No, Regina, look closer." She pointed outward. Regina caught sight of the guards. Her eyes widened, but disbelief was still there._

" _See, no one is here." Chaste confirmed._

" _Bu-"_

" _Regina, just look. She is not here." She moved her hand and placed it gently on her upper back. Regina glanced at the younger woman with wide eyes._

" _Trust me." Chaste's hazel eyes reflected the moon's light in them, making her eyes sparkle. Regina fell pray to their mystical light mixed with Chaste's warmth and friendly demeanor._

" _I...I trust you." Chaste smiled._

" _Good."_

* * *

 _ **To Be Continued!**_

 _ **End of Part 2**_

 _ **Part 3(Final) will be here soon!**_

 _ **Author's Note: This part was really badly written. I am so sorry. I haven't been in the right mind to write anything. I am so sorry, again.**_


	8. Chapter 5 Part 3 (Final)

_**Dead Inside**_

 _ **Once Upon a Time AU**_

 _ **Chapter 5: She Had The World (part 3) (Final)**_

* * *

"Miss Swan, it's late, I-"

"I know." Emma sighs. She was unable to get much out of Regina. She was unsatisfied and tired. This whole visit was a waste, which irritated the blonde. She stood up, stretching slightly. Her bones popped as she moved her tired legs. Her eyes blinked with a bit of strain. Stifling a yawn, she made her way to the foyer and opened the door, leaving the ex-mayor's house and went straight to her car.

As soon as Emma left, Regina released a breath she was holding. She shifted her eyes and placed the empty tumbler that was in her hand on the coffee table. She was exhausted, her mind was swimming and the alcohol clouded her senses. She wasn't necessarily drunk, but she wasn't sober either.

She leaned back in the plush sofa to reflect on what happened. She noticed that she spent most of her time being lectured by an almost livid blonde-which she deserved. Regina remembered bits and pieces of the conversation. She relayed the fact that the town hates her again. It pained her to know that she was back where she started. She had worked so hard to prove that she was no longer the person she once was-yet that did not manage out.

Regina rubbed her temple to soothe the on-coming headache. She lifted her heavy body off of the sofa and trailed out of the room and trudged up the stairs to her bedroom. Upon opening the door, she expected someone to be laying in the bed waiting for her, but was disappointed to see the bed empty. Chaste flashed through her mind and her mood soured even more. She groaned, she was still too sober for this.

She sighed before walking into the bedroom and sat on the bed. Regina glanced at the new covers. She remembered she had to replace her old ones when she found out the others were missing. As she laid her head on the pillow, Regina breathed in deeply, as if to inhale a scent that was no longer there. A tear slipped from her eye and she swallowed deeply. Her lids closed, a melancholy expression settled on her beautiful face. A few word's were whispered out into the stillness of her bedroom.

" _I am sorry._ "

* * *

" _So, this is what you do with your free time." Regina said, a bit of humor could be hinted in her voice. Chaste glanced to her side, averting her attention away from the horse she was pampering. Her hand stilled from brushing the gorgeous mane. The Queen's presence filled the stables with an eerie atmosphere, but Chaste was not bother by it._

" _Well, it's a way to pass time, and you can't complain. You relieved me of duty." She muttered before continuing to brush the horse's mane. "Ah, indeed." She walked closer. "You know, you never did tell me why you did. Humor me, your majesty."_

 _The Queen sighed, "Curious, are we? Well, I need to discuss a few things with you." Chaste turned her attention to Regina once again. "Alright, I'm listening."_

 _Regina's eyes shifted uncomfortably. The piercing gaze that Chaste held with her was unnerving, especially with the topic she was about to discuss. Chaste looked away, "We should probably move this to the conference room. I'm guessing that this is important."_

 _She started to walk past the Queen, but she stopped her. "No, let's stay here." The younger woman looked at her apprehensively. "Are you sure?"_

 _Regina nodded, "I prefer it here. I don't come to the stables often enough." She finished while glancing at the horses in the stable. Memories flashed in her mind from a distant time that was so long ago. She sighed internally before switching her attention to the younger brunette in front of her. Chaste was examining Regina the whole time, waiting patiently for Regina to speak._

 _The older woman's body expression shifted uncomfortably. It was slight change in posture and people who did not know the Queen well enough would not notice it, but Chaste did. She always did. She could feel herself grow uneasy with a race of thoughts that appeared in her mind. Still, she waited._

" _Have you ever heard of the Dark Curse?" The younger woman blinked, confused by the question. She searched her mind; the name was familiar, but she did not know a source of where she had heard it. "I think I know what you are talking about, but I do not know of it." Regina took this chance to explain._

" _Regina... I don't get the point of you telling me the all of this. What does this curse have to do with anything?"_

" _Don't you see, Chaste, this is the answer." Regina exclaimed._

" _Answer...?" Chaste voiced, confused._

* * *

 _ **Storybrooke: Before Breaking of the Curse**_

Regina had always thought the curse was the answer to all her problems. It was her happiness, salvation, and revenge all in one. This curse would take her to a world, worse than the one she was in and take away all happy endings. All except for one; Regina's. This world would be perfect for her. She would have control, respect, and fear when needed.

It was just for a small price. Well-not necessarily small, but it was still a price she was willing to pay. The sacrifice of her father would not be in vain because in the end, her happiness would be given to her. She could be free of all the filthy, tiny people of her world. They would forget themselves and be replaced with fake, cursed selves.

They would learn to fear her, to respect her, to not fight against her will. It would all be...perfect.

Storybrooke...the place of her dreams. It was quaint little town with it's own little charm as she would call it. Though, this quaint little town would soon become her prison. It was almost as if she traded a cage for another one. Without her magic, she felt hopeless. This was how things would be from now on and she couldn't change it.

When she arrived to this town after she casted the curse, the first thing she wanted to do was to tell her friend that she succeeded. That she finally won. Then, it dawned on her. A painful, crushing feeling developed in her heart as she realized her mistake. Chaste doesn't remember.

The former Queen, now elected mayor was enraged by her error. Everything was fine, just damn fine until she realized that she forgot to tweak the curse. Regina was sickened by her slip-up. Her head spun with troubled thoughts, but there was no way to released them. No one to tell her troubles. To know comfort that she would not be alone to her maddening thoughts. That's when she stopped taking joy in waking up every morning in this gods-forsaken town.

After years with dealing with the same troubles of a repeating routine every week, or was it day? Regina barely remembered as the days melded together. Yet, now she a son. A beautiful little prince to whom she loved dearly. He put an end to her boring routine and now she had a reason to wake up every morning.

"Your son is very cute, Mayor Mills." A voice complimented from behind, interrupting her stream of thoughts. She glanced towards the bus to see her son waving at her with a wide smile. Her beautiful son, who was now 6 years old. He jumped up and waved harder before disappearing inside the bus. She smiled before turning around to face the stranger that spoke to her.

Except this was no stranger. Regina masked her shock as she came face-to-face with the cursed version of Chaste. The younger woman smiled at her as she noticed she gathered the attention of the mayor. "Sorry, did I startle you?" Regina collected herself, ' _So, she's still able to read me even when she's cursed?'_ Regina made note of this before replying, "No, you didn't I was just..-"

"-Lost in thought?" Chaste finished for her. The mayor nodded, not being at all bother by the fact that she was interrupted.

"Don't worry, that happens to me a lot, too!" Regina stood there stiffly, unsure of how to reply. The cold air that swarmed around them was brittle and Chaste was wearing a very thin jacket. She shivered as she was barreled with a chilling stream of Maine air. Regina noticed and was about to take off her jacket and hand it to her friend, but stopped herself. Pain dawned on her. The mayor straightened her posture.

"You should probably go, dear. Before you catch your death out here." Chaste stared a bit, blinking at the woman. A strange feeling of familiarity hit her suddenly and she tried to recognize why. Nothing came to her though, and in turn she nodded to the woman's statement. Regina acknowledged a change in the younger woman's demeanor and inquired about it.

The woman brushed it off, "Oh, yeah I'm fine..." She was about to say something before she stopped herself.

"What is it dear?"

"It's just that..." Chaste found it hard to explain herself. She didn't understand why she was feeling this way at all. She sighed. "Never mind, it's ridiculous."

Regina shook her head, "Tell me..." She whispered, which startled Chaste a bit. She had to double-take, slowly remembering rumors of the mayor being cruel. She wasn't getting that at all from her, instead she got the opposite. She then pushed away her conflicted feelings and licked her lips.

"It's just that...I feel as if you've said that before to me." Regina's heart almost stopped.

"Oh?"

Chaste chuckled, shaking off any weird feelings. "Yeah"

"It's silly."

"Perhaps." Regina pondered. Chaste shivered against her thin jacket again when another harsh wind blew past them. "Heh, maybe I should take your advice and head home." Regina nodded, not necessarily willing to end the conversation, but remembered that she needed to be somewhere.

Chaste tilted her head, a crooked smile plastered on her face. "Well, it was nice to speak with you, Madame." Then, she stalked off. Regina stood on the sidewalk watching her friend walk down the street before turning the corner. Disappearing from Regina's sight entirely.

She felt empty. Like a hollowed out shell. She swallowed before mumbling a few words. "It was nice to speak to you as well. She turned on her heel and headed off to continue her boring routine.

* * *

" _Yes, it is the answer."_

 _Chaste shifted her eyes in thought. "Do you truly think that?"_

 _Regina's eyes held determination and she nodded. Chaste sighed. Her gaze moved to the Queen again. "So, what are your thoughts, dear?"_

 _There was a gnawing in the back of her mind. Warning signals flashed in her minds, telling her to back out. She pushed it all away when she examined Regina's face. She really did believe that this was the way. That this was how she would receive her happiness._

 _Chaste knew against it, she even wanted to comment on it, but she swallowed her words like hot coals shuffling uncomfortably down her throat. She could feel beads of sweat trailing on her back. A shiver ran through her but she stood against it. This was unmarked territory._

 _She gazed into Regina's eyes. There was so much pain. So much hate. Her warm brown eyes that would shine just for the right person, but wouldn't because they were clouded. Chaste knew Regina's heart was heavy with remorse for her lost love. For her lost innocence and freedom._

 _Chaste felt for her friend. She did not want her to suffer. She wanted Regina's happiness._

 _And that's when she smiled, her hazel eyes shined. "I want you to be happy and if this is the way, then I will support you." Regina's mouth stretched into a smile of her own. Her eyes glossed over slightly. Still clouded with hate and darkness, but at least there was a little light._

 _And Chaste was happy that she put that there._

* * *

 _ **To Be Continued!**_

 _ **Author's Note: Sorry I took so long to upload this chapter. I will admit that it took a while for this chapter to come together because of the past segments. I had to build a past with Regina and Chaste to add some more chemistry between them. It worked out well in the end, I just needed to figure out a way to word it all well, which I did. I do hope you all enjoyed it.**_

 _ **I have to thank all of those who have favorite, commented, and followed my story for so long. Thank you! I am glad you enjoy this rollarcoaster of a fanfic. Hopefully, you will stay in the future because this isn't done yet! Again, thank you!**_


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